Turbo Charger

Lion DVD
AFA I
CHAPTER: Turbochargers
Turbochargers
Service Training Malaga
Welcome to a continuation of our failure analysis

seminar and a discussion about turbocharger failures. We
will again be reviewing facts that can guide us to root
causes of failures.
Lion DVD
AFA I
Lion DVD
AFA I
In This Presentation
Function
Design
Operation
Normal wear
Why Turbos Fail
In this presentation we will discuss some basic facts

about turbocharger function, structure, installation,
operation and other problems that will help us
understand why turbos fail.
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AFA I
Function
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AFA I
Function
When turbos fail, it is a temptation to gather facts

from only the failed turbocharger. We need to remember
to immediately gather basic information about the
lubrication, air inlet and exhaust system conditions
prior to failure since these systems are part of the
turbocharger's life and more often cause it to fail.
Facts about pressures, leaks, restrictions, foreign
material, high temperatures, loose connections or recent
repairs should be recorded.
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AFA I
Turbocharger Functions
Normalize Air Supply

Boost Air Supply
Turbochargers serve two functions, normalizing air

supply and boosting air supply to engines.
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AFA I
Normalizing
Compensate for thinner Air
Waste gate valve by-pass turbo boost
Normal Power at high Altitudes
Fuel deration at 2 150 m to avoid over speed
Quieter Exhaust, better combustions and emissions
Normalizing means keeping air supply the same as is

normal for a naturally aspirated engine at sea level.
When engines operate at altitudes above sea level, the
air becomes less dense, and the turbocharger is needed
gather in more of the thinner air. If we don't
normalize, we must decrease fuel settings as the air
becomes less dense to avoid overfueling the engine.
Thus, normalizing allows engines to develop normal
horsepower over abroad range of altitudes.
Some turbochargers have what is called a "waste gate"
which bypasses turbo boost above a specified pressure.
This allows the engine to be operated at various
altitudes and yet maintain a stable, normalized air
supply.
We should be aware that while turbochargers can
concentrate thinner air at higher altitudes to give
normal oxygen supply and normal power, they will spin
faster to do so. Thus, for operation above about 2 150
meter we often see fuel deration suggestions to avoid
turbocharger over speed.
Side benefits of turbocharging include quieter exhaust,

better combustion, and cleaner emissions.
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AFA I
Normalizing
First commercial use 1940s in Airplane
Although the idea of turbocharging is an old one,

economical metals that could withstand high exhaust
temperatures weren't produced until the 1940's. One of
the first commercial uses of turbocharging was on the
airplane engine to enable it to develop full power at
higher altitudes.
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AFA I
Boosting
More Oxygen / Increased Fuel Setting
Higher Power
Better Combustion
- Better Fuel Economy
- Cleaner Emissions
Quieter
The second function of a turbocharger is boosting air

supply to give the engine more than normal oxygen. This
enables increased fuel settings while still providing
better combustion and quieter exhaust. Improved
combustion means not only better fuel economy, but also
cleaner exhaust emissions.
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AFA I
Boosting
10
Some customers enjoy the feel of a little extra power.

Powered by the Cat, these boats begin to fly when the
throttles are opened.
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AFA I
Design
11
Schwitzer Turbo
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Design
AFA I
Waste-Gate Turbo
12
We should be familiar with the structure of

turbochargers, the names of key internal parts, and how
they fit together before doing failure analysis. Let's
take a few minutes and review some basic facts about a
typical turbo.
When assembled, the cold wheel, the center shaft, and

the hot wheel become one solid piece that turns in freefloating journal bearings. A stationary thrust bearing
located near the cold wheel controls endplay. Larger
turbos have two separate journal bearings while some
small turbos have a single cartridge style bearing.
Thrust washers are positioned on each side of the thrust
bearing with a spacer between them.. When the compressor
wheel is installed, the retaining nut forces the wheel,
the thrust washers and the spacer against the shoulder
on the center shaft, making them a part of the rotating
assembly. All bearings ride on a cushion of oil during
turbocharger operation.
The turbine back plate, or heat shield, and the air
space behind it serve as insulators to keep high exhaust
temperatures from penetrating the center housing. Heat
that is conducted into the center shaft from the hot
wheel is removed at the bearing near the hot wheel by
lubricating oil. Thus, even though temperatures can be a
high as 750C at the turbine wheel, they are normally
under 150 C at the journal bearing because of the
cooling effect of the lubricating oil.
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AFA I
Design
Lubrication System
Lubricating
Cooling
Cleaning
13
The lubrication system is also vital to trouble free

turbocharger operation because it performs three
important functions: lubricating, cooling and cleaning.
Interruptions of oil supply for only a few seconds can
cause disastrous results. It is essential that
sufficient quantity of oil continually flows through the
turbocharger to provide suspension and stabilization of
the full floating bearing system and to remove heat.
There are many ways that lubricant can be restricted or
lost before it reaches the turbocharger. And the
lubricant can contain large abrasive particles that can
bridge the lubricant film and cause physical damage to
rotating parts. Thus, not only must adequate lubricant
quantity be present, but the lubricant quality must also
be good. Thus, before inspecting the failed turbo, we
should always gather basic quantity and quality facts
about the lubrication system such as:
1. Type and viscosity of oil used
2. Oil level on the dipstick
3. Oil filter evaluation, including cutting it open and

inspecting the paper
4. SOS oil sample
5. Operators comments about lube pressures or other

problems prior to the failure
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AFA I
Design
Lubrication System
Direct lubrication line to Turbo
14
All Caterpillar engines have direct lubrication lines to

turbochargers to insure that filtered oil arrives as
soon as possible. Some engines have a special priority
lubrication valve which sends unfiltered oil to the
turbocharger even more quickly. These efforts insure
that fast moving turbo parts are lubricated and cooled
as soon as possible.
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Design
AFA I
Lubrication System
15
Turbochargers receive pressure oil from a central port

on top of the center housing. Drilled passageways
distribute the oil to the bearings and rotating shaft.
Some drilled passageways are small (especially those to
thrust bearings) and can be blocked or obstructed by
foreign material. Therefore, special care should be used
to insure that no debris is allowed to enter during
handling or installation. Oil drains from the turbo by
gravity force through a port on the bottom of the center
housing to the engine crankcase.
Hot exhaust gasses enter the hot wheel (at the red area
on the right) at its outer circumference at high speed.
The gasses are forced by the blades to change direction
900 and exit through the center of the hot wheel,
causing the hot wheel to rotate. Since the hot wheel is
directly connected to the cold wheel, as it turns, the
cold wheel also turns. This allows the turbocharger to
beneficially use wasted energy in the exhaust gasses to
compress inlet air for the engine. Any foreign material
entering the exhaust side of the turbocharger will
damage the edges of the blades at their outer
circumference.
Incoming air is pulled into the center of the compressor
wheel (blue area on the left) and is accelerated and
thrown outward into the volute or collector surrounding
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Design
AFA I
Lubrication System
16
This is a Switzer design turbo. Other designs have

slightly different structures, but the ideas we'll
discuss are generally true of all designs.
Parts that spin with the shaft and wheels are shown in
blue color. Parts that are stationary are shown in red
color. The free floating bearings are spun by frictional
drag and rotate at about one-third the speed of the
rotating shaft. Lubrication passageways are shown in
green. Notice that the smallest drilled lube passageway
{which is most vulnerable to blockage by foreign
material) is the one to the stationary thrust bearing in
this particular turbocharger.
Seal rings are located just behind both the hot and cold
wheels to prevent leakage of oil out of, or foreign
material into, the turbo. The seal rings fit tightly in
their outer housings and should not rotate -- the center
shaft should turn within the seal rings. At low idle
these seals restrict oil leakage into hot and cold
housings, and at full load these seals keep exhaust and
abrasive carbon from entering the bearing areas. Since
gravity is the only force draining oil from the turbo,
high crankcase pressures can cause elevated pressures at
the seals and force oil to leak past them.
Because the journal bearings are rapidly spinning, any
debris in the oil has a tendency to centrifuge outward
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Design
AFA I
Friction Welding
Hollow thermal barrier

Centering Pin
17
Turbo shafts can be welded to turbine wheels with one of

two processes: electron beam welding or friction
welding. This acid etched cross-section of an electron
beam weld joint helps us more clearly see the details
near the weld. A centering pin is present to keep the
parts aligned during welding. Also notice that the shaft
and wheel are hollow for a short distance near the weld.
This hollow area serves two purposes:
1) With friction welding, it allows weld residues
(called curl) to escape internally during the welding
process {the residue sometimes looks a little like
coarse threads), and
2) With friction or inertial welding, it acts like a

thermal barrier {insulator) during turbo operation to
reduce heat transfer from the hot wheel to the center
shaft. Since the hot wheel is nonmagnetic, and the
center shaft is magnetic, we can use a magnet to
determine whether a weld has failed, or whether the
shaft has broken, i.e.: if the magnet sticks to the hot
wheel side of the fracture, the shaft has broken.
Also notice the induction hardening on the center shaft

where the turbine journal bearing fits.
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Design
AFA I
Induction hardened Shaft
18
The center shaft is also induction hardened where the

compressor journal bearing fits to provide greater
strength and wear capability.
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AFA I
Design
Compressor wheel
High Strength Aluminum alloys
19
Compressor wheels are made from high quality, high

strength aluminum alloys. Special care is taken in
processing these alloys to prevent stringers and
inclusions that could weaken the metal and cause cracks
to start. This metal is not designed to withstand high
temperatures and should never be exposed to them.
Compressor wheel blade design can either be straight or
back curved. Perhaps the easiest way to notice the
difference is to compare the two. Notice that slope of
the blades on the bottom wheel is more severe than the
slope of the blades on the top wheel. This bottom wheel
is a back curve design. When RPM increases, centrifugal
force tries to straighten the back curve blades and bend
them straight. Thus, as RPM increases and then decreases
a cyclic bending load is placed on back curve blades,
and this cyclic load from centrifugal force is much more
severe than the cyclic load from compressing air. As we
discussed in the Fracture module, it is cyclic loads
that cause fatigue fractures. Blades must be designed to
withstand these heavy cyclic bending loads as well as
the lighter loading from compressing air.
The center shaft hole is drilled on a special machine
that calculates precise hole location to give closest
wheel balance. More exact balancing is sometimes done by
removing stock from the nose near the drilled hole.
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Design
AFA I
Compressor wheel
Balancing Notches
20
Balancing is also done on the backside of the cold

wheel. We may find several circular notches along the
outside diameter as we see here, or
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Design
AFA I
Compressor wheel
Radial milling
21
we may find radial milling along the outside diameter as

we see here.
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Design
AFA I
Free-floating journal bearings
Copper/tin/lead alloy or from aluminium

Lube holes or groove
22
The free-floating journal bearings can be made either

from a copper/tin/lead alloy or from aluminum, depending
on the turbo design. On older turbos many bearings were
completely saturated with lead, while newer bearings
have a lower lead content. The lead acts as a lubricant
during short periods of marginal lubrication {such as
during start-ups). You will also find that some bearings
have a thin tin flash over the copper/tin/lead alloy to
increase lubricity on start-ups.
Bearing inside and outside diameters are carefully
controlled to insure correct clearances and oil film
thickness. Notice that some of the bearings have oil
holes that are chamfered to remove any drilling
irregularities and to allow free flow of oil as the
bearing is spinning. Other bearings will have oil
grooves on the sides.
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AFA I
Design
Snap rings
Rounded edge towards the bearing
23
Journal bearing retaining snap rings are stamped from

high strength steel. The stamping operation gives one
side rounded edges, and the other side sharp edges. The
smooth, rounded edge should always be installed toward
the bearing to minimize abrasive contact.
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AFA I
Design
Thrust Bearing
Copper/tin/lead alloy or from aluminium
Bearing stationary
Washer full shaft RPM
24
Thrust bearings are made from copper/tin/lead and high

strength aluminum alloys. Some are tin flashed to
improve lubricity on start-ups, but most thrust surfaces
bushings have a bronze appearance. Thrust bearings are
stationary while adjacent thrust washers turn at full
shaft RPM. Because of this, thrust bearings absorb more
energy than any other turbo bearing and therefore are
more sensitive to marginal lubrication, foreign material
and abnormal end loading.
Some thrust bearings have drilled oil passageways as we
see here to provide direct lubrication to the thrust
contact surface. Notice the fine screen that this
manufacturer has installed to catch debris that could
block the passageway and cause marginal lubrication
damage.
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AFA I
Design
Seal Rings
High temperature resistant chrome alloy

Cold side cast iron
End gap
25
Hot side seal rings are made from a high chrome alloy
ductile iron that can resist high temperatures. Cold
side seal rings are made from cast iron and should never
be exposed to high temperatures. Both are carefully made
to insure roundness, smooth surface finish, and adequate
spring force. These are the things that keep the seal
ring from turning in the bore and from leaking. When
seal rings are installed, end gap should be about 10
thousandths of an inch (refer to service manuals for
exact specifications for a particular turbocharger).
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Design
AFA I
Housing
Cast aluminum alloy

Cast Iron
Cast ductile iron or nickel alloy
26
Compressor housings are made of a cast aluminum alloy.

Bore perpendicularity and parallelism are carefully
controlled to insure uniform compressor wheel clearances
(usually somewhat less than twenty thousandths of an
inch--refer to service manuals for exact specifications
for each turbocharger). These housings are designed to
withstand the forces of a high-speed compressor wheel
separation. Center housings are made from cast iron and
are normally not subjected to either high temperatures
or high loads. Bore parallelism and perpendicularity are
carefully controlled, as well as the inside diameter and
surface finish where journal bushings fit.
Turbine housings are made of ductile irons or nickel
alloyed ductile irons. They must withstand loads of any
attachments at temperatures as high as 14000 F without
creeping (permanently changing size or shape). These
housings are also carefully machined to insure bore
parallelism and perpendicularity and maintain uniform
turbine wheel clearances.
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AFA I
Design
Heat Shield
Protects center housing from high

exhaust temperatures
27
The turbine back plate, or heat shield, acts as an

insulator to protect the center housing from high
exhaust temperatures. It is made of ductile iron and
provides insulation by creating a dead air space between
the turbine wheel and the center housing.
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Operation
AFA I
Start-up
28
When an engine is started, exhaust gasses immediately

begin to spin the turbine wheel, center shaft and
compressor wheel. Lube flow has not yet arrived and only
residual oil is present on the bearings. Thus,
asperities are not yet separated, nor is the oil film
cushion established that centers the turbo shaft and
prevents orbiting shaft motion. We suggest that
customers run their engines at low idle for several
minutes to establish oil film and stabilize shaft motion
before the engine is put to work.
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AFA I
Operation
Turbos are matched
29
Turbochargers are carefully matched to each engine to

give the engine the inlet air it needs without damaging
the turbocharger if the system conditions are within
Caterpillar specifications:
1. Inlet air restriction
2. Exhaust restriction
3. Aftercooler restriction
4. Inlet/exhaust temperatures
5. Crankcase pressure
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Operation
AFA I
Air Restriction
Energy stored in rotating
component can equal the
engine HP
Turbo spin 80 000 Rpm

Surface speed 30m/second
30
Turbochargers are free-spinning components which often

spin faster than 80,000 RPM At peak RPM, journal bearing
surface speeds can be greater than 30 meter per second,
and the energy stored in rotating components can equal
engine horsepower. These conditions demand near perfect
balance and alignment of all moving parts, as well as
proper operating and maintenance environments. Although
problems with the turbo itself can cause failures, it is
usually simple problems in the turbo's working
environment, such as air inlet restriction, that cause
most failures.
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AFA I
Normal Wear
Increased clearance
31
After thousands of hours of service, wear occurs and

clearances increase. If kept in service too long, the
turbocharger will develop center shaft motion, oil
leakage and wheel contact. Since outside appearance of
worn turbochargers shows little more than the condition
of the turbine and compressor wheels, we need to
disassemble them and inspect inside parts to see what
normal wear looks like. This will also prepare us to
identify abnormal wear in the future.
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Normal Wear
AFA I
Hot side
Little leak past the seal ring
32
Little oil leaks past the hot side seal ring, as is

evidenced by the fairly dry inside surface of the heat
shield. Notice that the heat shield has done its
insulating job here as shown by the presence of paint on
the hot end of the center housing. This means that the
bearings have never been exposed to high temperatures
that could destroy lubrication or cause metallurgical
deterioration.
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AFA I
Normal Wear
Turbine Wheel
No discoloration
Seal ring with gap separation
33
The turbine wheel and shaft assembly also show that no

abnormal heat has been present. Notice the temper colors
stop just behind the hot wheel and before the journal
bearing on the hot side.
The chrome alloy hot side seal ring has been exposed to
these higher temperatures, but is not damaged because it
is made from chrome alloy ductile iron. Notice that the
ring has not collapsed as shown by good end gap
separation.
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Normal Wear
AFA I
Bearings
More wear on hot side
34
These used journal bearings still have some of the tin

flash left on the outside, with more wear occurring on
the hot side bearing than on the cold side bearing -- a
normal occurrence due to the higher temperatures present
there. Chamfers on oil holes (inside and outside) and on
bearing edges are still present, also indicating that
very little surface wear has occurred.
There appears to be minor abrasive damage to the hot
side bearing. We should notice facts like the small,
round indentation on the chamfer of the oil hole and
should suspect that the abrasive damage was caused by
small, round, hard foreign material such as steel shot.
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Normal Wear
AFA I
Thrust Bearing
Fine abrasive wear
35
Thrust bearings and washers usually show some fine

abrasive wear as a result of fine debris built into the
turbo on manufacture or installation. This Air Research
thrust washer shows normal fine abrasive wear.
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Normal Wear
AFA I
Thrust washers
36
We also may find heavier contact on one side or at

various points on the surface resulting from deviations
in component perpendicularity or parallelism. These
Switzer thrust washers rotate with the center shaft and
show more severe contact on one side than on the other.
The temper colors show that metal-to-metal asperity
contact has occurred long enough to generate more than
(285 C). Slight discoloration or wear such as this
after thousands of hours of use should be considered
acceptable.
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AFA I
Why Turbos Fail

Lack of Lubrication
Abrasive in the Oil
High Exhaust Temperature
Foreign Objects
Turbo Problems
37
When others ask: "Why did this turbo fail?" we may feel
unsure and be tempted to guess. But if we recognize that
specific problems in the turbocharger or in its working
environment will produce specific failure results, we
will be on our way to finding the real root cause. We
should begin by gathering facts and reading " roads
signs " from the failed turbo and its working
environment. This can lead us to general areas that
cause failures such as the following:
1. Lack of Lubrication
2.
Abrasives in the Oil
3.
High Exhaust Temperature
4.
Foreign Objects
5.
Turbocharger Problems.
Because each of these areas may contain many possible

root causes, we must avoid saying that an area, such as
lack of lubricant, is the cause of the failure. We must
continue down the trail of road signs until we know what
specific thing caused the lack of lubrication. Only then
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AFA I
Lack of Lube
Road-signs
Temper Colors/ Cooked Oil

Adhesive Wear
Weakened Metal
Wheel Contact with Housing
Wheel separation from Shaft
38
For example, lack of lubrication can be caused low oil

level, low oil pressure, wrong oil quality, high oil
temperatures, etc. . Lack of lubrication produces road
signs such as:
1.
Temper colors and cooked oil in bearing areas
3.
Weakened metal
2.
Adhesive wear
4. Hot side seal ring over heating, weakening,

collapse, wear and destruction.
5.
6.
Wheel contact with housings
Occasional wheel separation from the center shaft.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
Housing Contact
39
In this failure, wheel contact with housings has

occurred and oil has been leaking behind the turbine
wheel. Excessive shaft motion indicates that bearings
are damaged or worn. We must next look at the inside
parts to determine the cause of the bearing damage.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
Housing Contact
Temper colors and cooked oil residue

40
After disassembly, we see that the thrust bearing and

hot side journal bearing surfaces are more severely
damaged than the cold side journal bearing. This is
normal because the thrust bearing encounters full turbo
RPM and the hot side journal bearing is nearest the high
exhaust temperatures. Temper colors and cooked oil
residues tell us that high temperatures have been
present. But there is no evidence of abrasive attack. So
it appears that the oil was clean, but that there was
not enough to lubricate and/or cool the turbo properly.
After some research, it was discovered that the engine
was operated with marginal lubrication from low oil
level until wheel rubbing noise was heard.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
41
If turbo operation is continued with lack of

lubrication, metal to metal contact can generate enough
heat to produce adhesive wear and destroy parts. Notice
that temper colors continue almost to the cold side
bearing, that the hot side seal has been physically
destroyed, and that oil has been leaking and coking on
the turbine wheel.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
42
As high temperatures weaken and damage internal parts,

excessive shaft motion develops and produces high loads
that can break the center shaft. Although the casual
observer may suspect that the inertial weld between the
hot wheel and center shaft has broken, the careful
analyst will notice that the fracture faces are not only
rough and ragged, but that temper colors are present at
the fracture site and heavy wheel to housing contact has
occurred. This suggests that the shaft was abnormally
hot, was then overloaded, and finally suffered a ductile
fracture.
Here, again, the analyst needs to determine the cause of
lack of lubrication.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
43
If we need to verify our opinion that the inertial weld

did not break, we can do so by touching a magnet to the
fracture face on the hot wheel. If the weld has broken,
the magnet will not have much attraction, but if the
shaft has broken, the magnet will be strongly attracted
to the fracture face. Thus, when the magnet sticks to
the hot wheel fracture face it tells us that the
inertial weld is still intact and that it is the steel
shaft that has broken.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
44
Careful visual examination in good lighting also reveals

dark temper colors and part of the steel shaft broken by
torsional overload on a 45 angle. These "road signs",
even without a magnet check, should tell us that the hot
wheel separation is a result, and to inspect the
bearings and other conditions that could have been the
root cause.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Rapid Shutdown
45
There any many other possible ways that lack of

lubrication can occur. For instance, this turbo failed
when the operator repeatedly went from load conditions
to engine shutdown without cooling down the turbo. After
this continual abuse, the hot and cold wheels began
rubbing the housings and boost dropped off.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Cooked oil residual
46
Closer inspection of the hot side journal bushing shows

that there is a dark layer of cooked residual oil on the
bearing. And beneath that layer of cooked oil we can see
fine abrasive cutting caused by prior hot shutdown and
start-ups on earlier cooked oil layers. So hot shutdowns
not only remove residual oil and create dry starts, but
they also create small abrasive cooked oil particles
that cut the bearing and shaft the next time the engine
is started. This rapidly wears out the softer bushing,
producing shaft motion and wheel contact.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Quench dots/rings
47
One good way to identify that hot shutdown has been done
is to remove the journal bushings and look for quench
dots or quench rings, where residual oil has drained
down into bearing oil holes or over bearing edges and
has tried to cool the superheated center shaft. Some
cooling occurs in these areas and leaves the
characteristic quench dots and rings.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Bushing stuck to shaft
48
Continued hot shutdown operation will create more and

more bearing wear until bearing diameters are
significantly reduced. This hot side bushing has also
stuck to the shaft as a result of inside gumming and
cooking of residual oil. This caused the bearing to turn
at full shaft RPM which damages the lube oil film and
creates marginal lubrication.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Turbine wheel separation
49
Heat seldom travels to the cold side journal bushing as

we see evidenced here by the discolored center shaft and
quench dots.
Quench dots and rings can also be produced if a turbine
wheel separates at the inertial weld during full load
operation and the center shaft stops turning. But there
will be no abnormal wear on journal or thrust bushings.
Thus, when we have wheel separation during operation, we
might expect to find a quench dot or ring on the hot
side and normal appearance on the cold side.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
50
The report on the cause of failure on this turbocharger

was "The shaft broke causing the turbo to fail". Let's
review the different parts more closely and see if we
reach the same conclusion.
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Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Adhesive wear and

Thermal cracking
51
When journal bearings are allowed to get hotter than

normal, it is possible that some of the lead in the
bearings can leach out and decrease clearances between
the bearing and the housing bore and/or the shaft. This
may cause the bearing to stick on both the housing and
shaft and totally stop rotation.
The hot bearing here is firmly stuck in the housing bore

in fact, as the serviceman tried to remove it he broke
the center housing. The bearing itself shows adhesive
wear on the outside and also has thermal cracking.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Discoloration
52
High-speed rotation with excessive shaft motion puts

extreme and unusual cyclic loading on rotating parts.
Coupled with abnormally high temperatures, the center
shaft can bend and allow the wheels to contact the
housings. This puts more cyclic loading on the shaft and
it may soon break, as we see here.
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AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
High Temperature
Ductile Fracture
Discoloration
53
Inspection of the other half of the fracture reveals

more clearly the high temperature that was present, and
that plastic flow preceded the ductile fracture. Notice
that the plastic flow at the fracture face is
accompanied by a variety of dark temper colors. This
damage had to be done before the shaft broke because
after the shaft breaks the wheel stops turning and there
is no way for heat to be transmitted to the shaft.
Also, the back of the compressor wheel shows rubbing on
one side indicating that the shaft had weakened and bent
before it broke.
53
Lion DVD
AFA I
Lack of Lubrication
WHY
54
But everything we have just discussed resulted from lack

of lubrication. Was the field analysis of this failure,
"The shaft broke and caused the turbo to fail",
accurate? Definitely, this diagnosis is wrong. The job
that should have been done was to find the cause of the
shaft breaking, and all results point to lack of
lubrication. Why was there lack of lubrication? The
repairing manager should have studied the road signs and
then followed them to the particular cause of lack of
lubrication in this failure.
54
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
Road-signs
Scratches, Cuts, Grooves

Little Heat Damage
Rapid Wear
Embedded Debris
55
Abrasive material in the oil can damage bearings, cause

excessive shaft motion and lead to total failure.
Contamination can result from dirty assembly, dirty
maintenance, exhaust leakage into the turbo, extended
oil change intervals, oil filter problems, etc.
Road signs that abrasives have been present in the oil
include:
1. Scratches, cuts or grooves in rotating parts
2. Little heat build-up
3. Rapid wear
4. Embedded debris in bearings
5. Excessive bearing wear and center shaft motion
6. Hot and cold wheel contact with their housings
7. Seal rings leaking, collapsed, worn, missing
55
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
Extended Oilchange Intervals
Excessive shaft motion
56
For instance, as we inspect the internal parts of this

failed turbo we find that much oil has been leaking past
the hot side seal, covering the heat shield with sludge
and oily residues. This indicates that there has been
excessive shaft motion and/or that the hot side seal was
damaged and leaking. The journal bearing unit is coated
with oil sludge and varnish. There is no adhesive wear,
but there is discoloration of the journal bearing
assembly. These things indicate that there was
sufficient oil to keep parts cool, but that the quality
of the oil needs investigation. We need information
about oil type, oil viscosity, filter condition, and
change intervals.
Investigation of these things led to discovery that the
operator had not changed oil for several months, but had
just added oil periodically. This allowed unfiltered oil
to circulate and caused this accelerated wear.
56
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
57
The internal parts of this failed turbo do not look

dirty--there is no evidence of high temperature or
adhesive wear and some oil has been leaking past the hot
side seal, indicating shaft motion or seal damage. There
is noticeably more wear on the hot bearing than on the
cold bearing, telling us to study that worn area more
closely.
57
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
Missing Hot side Seal
Exhaust carbon cause fine abrasive cutting
58
Close inspection with good lighting reveals that the hot

side seal has been displaced from its wear groove and
has not been functioning. During operation exhaust
carbon has been introduced into the hot side journal
bearing, has done very fine abrasive cutting, and was
then flushed to the pan by clean oil that fed the turbo.
The cold side journal bearing was not damaged because no
oil contamination occurred there. These things tell us
gather facts about the assembly of the turbocharger,
particularly about the installation of the hot wheel and
shaft assembly where the seal ring must be carefully
slipped into the center housing seal ring bore.
The turbo builder apparently had been too rough when
installing the wheel and shaft assembly into the center
housing and had displaced the seal ring from its groove.
After a few months of service the fine abrasive wear
allowed excessive shaft motion, oil leakage and wheel
contact with the housings.
58
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
59
As we carefully inspect several failed turbos we'll

notice that the road signs become familiar and that our
minds more quickly grasp their meaning. Here we see that
heat has been removed at the hot side bushing,
indicating that normal oil quantity has always been
present. The softer journal bushings have abrasive
cutting the hard (about Rockwell C55) center shaft shows
only minor scratching. All parts are clean with no
varnish or sludge build up. Neither wheel has had
significant housing contact.
59
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
60
The hot side journal bearing feels greater temperatures

and more stress than does the cold side journal bearing,
and closer inspection of that area is always a good
idea.
Now we can see clearly that the seal ring end gap is
gone -- the ring is collapsed. With no high temperatures
present, we should suspect that excessive shaft motion
has done this damage. When the ring collapses, it no
longer can stay tight in the bore and begins to rotate
with the shaft. This will rapidly wear out both the ring
and the groove in the center shaft. Eventually the ring
will wear thin, break, do more abrasive damage, and
flush through the drain port to the oil pan. This closer
view also allows us to see the scratching on the shaft
more clearly.
60
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil
61
Closer inspection of the journal bearings in good light

shows that heaviest abrasive wear has occurred on the
outside surfaces, partially closing the oil holes on the
hot side bearing. The cold side bushing is in better
condition because of the cooler temperatures in that
area. The inside surfaces of both bearings show much
less wear because heavier contaminants will move outward
due to centrifugal force present when the bearings spin.
The deep abrasive grooves tell us that the size of the
contaminants was large.
These road signs tell us that either another failure was
in progress within the engine and self generated large
pieces of foreign material, or that the foreign material
was introduced during turbo build, installation, or
during engine maintenance. We need to gather facts in
these areas as we search for the root cause of the
failure.
61
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil

New turbo failed after 3 weeks of service
62
This thrust washer came from a truck turbocharger which

failed just three weeks after the customer had purchased
the complete turbo and installed it himself. He returned
to the selling dealership and complained that the new
turbo he installed was performing worse than the old
"tired" one he replaced. The service manager had a
serviceman remove and disassemble the turbocharger and
found the turbo rotating parts completely worn out. The
serviceman said that this thrust bearing was typical of
the wear he found on all parts, and he thinks it is a
debris failure.
Pretend that you are the service manager who has the
unhappy customer waiting for you in the lounge. What are
you going to do next? (Students should want to study the
thrust bearing more closely to identify the type of wear
and read the road signs.
62
Lion DVD
AFA I
Abrasive in the Oil

1.
Debris size = pin head
2.
Debris shape = spherical
3.
Debris uniformity = same size
4.
Debris color = black, blue, grey, silver.
5.
Magnetic = yes
63
Closer inspection with good lighting shows what type of

wear? (Abrasive) What should we do now that we know
abrasive damage has failed the turbocharger? (Find the
cause of the abrasive damage, i.e.: identify the
abrasive material and where it came from. That will
determine who is responsible for the repair bill. )
Help students organize their thinking by listing
characteristics of debris on the blackboard or
flipchart, i.e.:
1. Debris size = pin head
2. Debris shape = spherical
3. Debris uniformity = same size
4. Debris color = black, blue, grey, silver.

5. Magnetic = yes
Ask students what debris fits these characteristics.

(steel shot)
Ask students who is most likely to put steel shot into

the turbocharger, the customer or the factory. (The
factory)
Now ask students what should be done with the customer.

(They should respond that an apology should be extended
for his inconveniences and another new part offered on
parts warrants.) Point out that if we just let the parts
talk to us as we do careful visual inspections,
failure analysis becomes easier and accurate, because
the parts tell us what has happened to them. Failed
63
Lion DVD
AFA I
High Exhaust Temp.
Road-signs
Much Heat Damage

- Cooked Oil
- Oxidation
- Temper Colors
Much Bearing Wear
64
High exhaust temperature can force heat to penetrate the

center housing of the turbocharger and damage rotating
parts. It also causes parts such as the turbine housing
and center housing to oxidize and distort.
Road signs of high exhaust temperature include:
1. Much heat damage
a. Cooked or carburized oil
b. Oxidation/scaling of metal parts

c. Temper colors
d. Turbine seal ring collapsed

2. Worn bearings
3. Wheel contact with housings
4. 4. Occasional wheel separation from the center shaft
64
Lion DVD
AFA I
High Exhaust Temp.

Open Turbo and look inside
65
Visual inspection of the outside of this failed turbo

should tell us that severe high temperature operation
has occurred. That condition might still exist on the
engine, or it may have existed earlier, was recognized,
and was corrected. It is also possible that the
turbocharger has been rebuilt and the damaged center
housing reused after a prior engine problem was
corrected. If we inspect the inside parts of the turbo
we will have the answers to some of these questions.
65
Lion DVD
AFA I
High Exhaust Temp.
66
Many times the inside parts show evidence of severe

overheating, but not the bearing contact surfaces. This
means that the engine either now has, or very recently
had, a high exhaust temperature problem, and we need to
gather more facts about possible causes of high exhaust
temperatures. The turbo is clearly a result--we must
seek the root cause.
66
Lion DVD
AFA I
Foreign Object
Road-signs
Wheel Blade Damage

Bent Center Shaft
Normal Bearing Wear
Wheel Separation
67
When foreign objects enter a turbocharger it is

immediately and seriously damaged. And unbalance can be
more destructive than the physical distortion done by
the foreign material.
Road signs of foreign object damage include:
1. Bent and torn wheel blades and usually blades are

damaged)
a. At the inside diameter of compressor wheel blades
b. At the outside diameter of turbine wheel blades
2. Bent center shaft
3. Normal wear and color of bearings (except that wear

may be misaligned if the center shaft is bent)
4. Occasional wheel separation from shaft if foreign
material was large.
67
Lion DVD
Foreign Object
AFA I
Wheel Blade Damage
68
Fairly large pieces I of foreign material have damaged I

the hot wheel of this turbocharger. Both the hot and
cold .I wheels were making light contact with their
housings, indicating that there is excessive shaft
endplay.
68
Lion DVD
Foreign Object
AFA I
Wheel Blade Damage
Uniform Bending
69
Closer inspection of the turbine wheel with good

lighting shows the uniform bending and chewing of all
blades at the outside diameter where exhaust gasses
enter the wheel. When a foreign object enters,
centrifugal force keeps it at the outer diameter where
it grinds and becomes smaller until the force of exhaust
gasses can over, come centrifugal force, carry it to the
center of the wheel, and out into the exhaust piping.
69
Lion DVD
Foreign Object
AFA I
Wheel Blade Damage
Fresh Damage
70
When foreign objects enter the compressor wheel, the

blades at the inside diameter are bent and chewed.
Centrifugal force assists inlet airflow in moving the
debris through the wheel and into the inlet piping to
the engine. We know the damage is fresh on this wheel
because of the bright appearance of the fractures on the
blades.
70
Lion DVD
Foreign Object
AFA I
Wheel Blade Damage
Old Damage
71
Small foreign objects damaged this compressor wheel.

Again, the damage is confined the leading edges of the
blades. We know this damage occurred some time before
operation was stopped because of the dull looking
fractures on the blades, and because of the deposits
coming away from the ragged leading edges.
71
Lion DVD
AFA I
Turbocharger Problems
Design/Materials
Manufacturing
72
While most turbocharger failures are caused by

environmental problems, some occur because of problems
with the turbocharger itself. We can group these
problems into to general areas: (1) design or materials,
and (2) manufacturing.
72
Lion DVD
AFA I
Design/Materials
Wheel Burst
Blade Fatigue
Casting Inclusion
Weak Wheel
73
Errors in design or materials can cause compressor

wheels to fracture at high speeds. These failures are
nicknamed "wheel burst" because of the massive damage
done when the wheel separates at high speed. Wheel
castings can have inclusions that create local
weaknesses and lead to fractures. Or it is possible that
those who designed the turbo wheel underestimated normal
cyclic loads it would have to carry.
73
Lion DVD
AFA I
Wheel Burst
74
When asked "What caused this compressor wheel to fail?"

most people respond that foreign material is the root
cause. The next most popular answer is "The retaining
nut backed off".
The correct answer is " I don' t have enough facts yet
to answer that question, but as soon as I've inspected
the wheel and talked to the operator I'll give you my
opinion".
We should especially inspect the fracture faces.
74
Lion DVD
AFA I
Wheel Burst
75
Now the fracture face clearly shows a semicircular area

that is smoother and brighter at the lower right side of
the center shaft hole. This is a fatigue crack. Notice
that the surrounding areas are rough and dark and woody,
characteristics of a final ductile fracture. Even though
fracture features are less distinct in castings than in
forgings, the fracture general characteristics will
still be observable.
What load produces fatigue fractures? (Cyclic) What
produced the cyclic load that caused this wheel to
break? (Varying turbo RPM) Was there a stress
concentrator present at the fatigue crack initiation
site? (None observable) Because the wheel breaks at
maximum load condition, and maximum loading occurs at
high RPM, the compressor wheel seems to explode into the
housing at final fracture. Thus, this failure is
nicknamed "wheel burst". One of the functional
characteristics of the compressor and turbine housings
is to be able to withstand the forces of wheel burst and
high energy wheel sections.
Is this a design or workmanship problem that Caterpillar
should pay on warranty or policy? Not necessarily -- we
should first ask the Double check question "Is there any
way the other party could have caused this failure?"
Since turbocharger RPM created the centrifugal force and
the cyclic load, we need to be sure that no inlet or
exhaust restrictions, fuel settings, lug operation, late
timing, etc., were present which could have caused the
75
Lion DVD
AFA I
Wheel Burst
76
If we are lucky, we may find a fatigue crack by close

visual inspection during rebuild or repair. A careful
serviceman discovered this crack before serious damage
was done. Notice that the crack has progressed well
outward from the center.
76
Lion DVD
AFA I
Wheel Burst
77
The crack has progressed to the outside surface and is

growing more rapidly in both directions. If put back in
service, this wheel would have soon suffered wheel
burst.
77
Lion DVD
AFA I
Blade Fatigue
78
At times only a blade will be missing from a compressor

or turbine wheel, with minor damage to a few other
blades. When asked "What do you think caused this
compressor wheel to fail?" the number one answer is
again "Foreign material damage". Is that the correct
answer? (No, because leading edges of the blades at the
inside diameter are not damaged as they would be if
foreign material had struck them.)
The correct answer will again be "I haven't inspected

the wheel yet or gathered enough facts, but as soon as I
do so I will give you my opinion".
78
Lion DVD
AFA I
Blade Fatigue
79
Closer inspection with good lighting shows that the

fracture face of the missing blade is smoother and
flatter near the compressor nut, and gets rougher and
woodier toward the outside diameter. The fact that only
one blade is missing and that others show little damage
should verify that we have a fatigue fracture of a blade
which itself acted as foreign material and did minor
secondary damage as it quickly left the compressor wheel
with inlet air flow.
79
Lion DVD
AFA I
80
Too often when blades fatigue fracture customers are

told that they have allowed foreign material to enter
their turbocharger because we have seen blade damage
caused by foreign material entry. We need to guard
against preconceived ideas and remember to let the facts
build our opinions.
80
Lion DVD
AFA I
Casting Inclusion
81
This turbine wheel has separated from the center shaft

at high RPM and has much secondary impact damage. Did
the inertial weld fail, or did the shaft break for other
reasons? For example, a blade is broken off on the left
side. Did it have a fatigue fracture, come off, jam the
wheel or bend the center shaft, and finally cause the
shaft to break? We need to remember that when a turbine
wheel loses a blade, centrifugal force will throw it to
the outer diameter against exhaust gas flow where it
cannot escape until it becomes small enough to exit with
exhaust gas force. Thus, turbine wheel blade fatigue
fracture will cause much worse secondary damage than
will compressor wheel blade fatigue fracture.
81
Lion DVD
AFA I
Casting Inclusion
82
Checking the inertial weld area with a magnet is a good

way to begin to answer questions. The magnet sticks to
the fracture face, indicating that the weld did not
fail, but that the shaft broke. Inspection of the
fracture face of the missing blade is the next area of
interest.
82
Lion DVD
AFA I
Casting Inclusion
83
Close inspection with good lighting reveals a small

fatigue crack near the center of the fracture. It is
surrounded by the rougher ductile final fracture.
83
Lion DVD
AFA I
Casting Inclusion
84
Even closer inspection of the initiation site at the

bottom of the fracture shows what appears to be a
casting flaw that initiated the fatigue crack.
Our opinion of the cause of failure might be: "The

turbine wheel had a casting flaw which caused fatigue
fracture of a blade". The blade did severe secondary
damage that led to wheel separation and total turbo
failure.
84
Lion DVD
AFA I
Manufacturing
Weak Inertial/Friction Weld
Bent Shafts
Rough Bores
Misdrilled Oil Holes
Balancing Errors
85
Errors in manufacturing include weak inertial welds,

bent shafts, rough bearing bores, misdrilled oil holes,
and balancing errors.
85
Lion DVD
AFA I
86
We've mentioned inertial weld failure several times and

should take a few minutes to review facts about them.
The weld location is between the hot side seal ring and
the hot wheel. Both the wheel and the shaft have a hole
in the center, 1 and after they are welded together a
hollow cavity is present. This hollow area helps
insulate the hot wheel from the center shaft and slows
the conduction of heat from the exhaust into the bearing
areas. We may sometimes see what looks like coarse
threads inside the hole in the shaft after a weld
breaks. This material is actually inertial weld residue
called "curl".
An error in the welding process caused this shaft to
stop spinning much too soon, and no weld was made, and
in just a few hours of operation the wheel separated
from the shaft.
86
Lion DVD
AFA I
87
This inertial weld was also weak and after several

thousand hours allowed the wheel to separate from the
center shaft. Notice how sharp and clean the faces are,
and that there are no temper colors present. If we hold
a magnet to the hot wheel side of the fracture we will
find that there is weak attraction. If we hold the
magnet to the shaft side, we will find that there is
strong attraction. These things tell us that the weld
has failed.
And because the wheel shows contact with the housing and
heat shield, we know that the turbine wheel continued to
spin after the weld broke. Some have asked: "How long
will the hot wheel turn after it separated from the
shaft?"
87
Lion DVD
AFA I
88
The answer to that is: "There is sufficient exhaust gas

force to spin the broken wheel until it machines itself
small enough to go through the turbine housing and into
the exhaust piping."
88
Lion DVD
AFA I
Bent Shaft
Use T bar when tightening Compressor nut
89
If care is not used when assembling turbochargers, the

center shaft can be bent slightly on the compressor side
where shaft diameters change. Either rough handling or
off center loading when tightening the compressor wheel
retaining nut can bend the center shaft.
Even though the shaft may not cause the wheels to rub
the housings when we turn them by hand after assembly,
they will be off balance and at operational RPM will
bend themselves further. Wheels then make contact with
housings, bearings do not have adequate oil films due to
misalignment, and shaft motion becomes excessive.
The safest way to tighten the compressor wheel retaining
nut is to use a T-handle torque wrench.
89
Lion DVD
AFA I
Bent Shaft
90
If too much metal is removed from the nose of the

compressor wheel during balancing, there may not be
enough left to withstand the compressive load of the
wheel retaining nut, especially if the nut face is cup
shaped and hits the wheel at its outside diameter. This
can cause off-center loading of the center shaft, bend
the center shaft, and cause wheel contact with the
housing. Notice here that the blades are worn on the
outside diameter on one side of the wheel and on the
inside diameter on the other side, indicating that the
shaft was rotating bent.
The wheel retaining nut is missing, but if the shaft
breaks and the wheel hits the housing and stops spinning
abruptly, the inertial energy of the nut can cause it to
remove itself. Notice that the retaining nut made
contact more heavily at the outside diameter of the nut
face, indicating that the nut face was not flat, but was
cup-shaped. This puts additional load near the edge,
adding more stress to any balancing recessed area.
90
Lion DVD
AFA I
91
If a journal bearing wears only on the inside diameter,

or on the outside diameter, it is usually a result of
the other side sticking and full RPM transferring to the
worn side. Sticking can result from hot shutdowns, or
when bores are too rough, too small, or out of round.
When the bearing does not turn freely in the center
housing, accelerated wear such as we , see here can
occur.
91
Lion DVD
AFA I
92
Misdrilled passageways are a turbocharger root cause of

marginal lubrication failures. Here we see that the oil
supply passageway has been drilled off-center that
restricts oil flow to the bearings. Failures may not
occur for several months after installation because
partial oil supply is present continuously. Those who do
not follow road signs to the off-center passageway may
reuse such apart and have exactly the same failure
again.
92
Lion DVD
AFA I
Missed Oil Holes
93
Slide 101 -- Or we may find lack of lubrication failures

caused by omission of a drilled passageway. This Switzer
thrust bearing has no cross-drilled hole connecting the
upper oil slot with the center thrust area. Without good
oil supply to clean, lubricate and cool the thrust
surface, the bearing was soon damaged and center shaft
endplay became excessive. This led to wheel contact and
turbocharger failure.
93

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Lion DVD

Welcome to a continuation of our failure analysis

Service Training Malaga

Service Training Malaga

In this presentation we will discuss some basic facts

Service Training Malaga

Service Training Malaga

When turbos fail, it is a temptation to gather facts

Normalize Air Supply

Service Training Malaga

Turbochargers serve two functions, normalizing air

Service Training Malaga

Normalizing means keeping air supply the same as is

Side benefits of turbocharging include quieter exhaust,

Service Training Malaga

Although the idea of turbocharging is an old one,

Service Training Malaga

The second function of a turbocharger is boosting air

Service Training Malaga

Some customers enjoy the feel of a little extra power.

Service Training Malaga

Service Training Malaga

We should be familiar with the structure of

When assembled, the cold wheel, the center shaft, and

Service Training Malaga

The lubrication system is also vital to trouble free

3. Oil filter evaluation, including cutting it open and

5. Operators comments about lube pressures or other

Direct lubrication line to Turbo

Service Training Malaga

All Caterpillar engines have direct lubrication lines to

Service Training Malaga

Turbochargers receive pressure oil from a central port

Service Training Malaga

This is a Switzer design turbo. Other designs have

Hollow thermal barrier

Service Training Malaga

Turbo shafts can be welded to turbine wheels with one of

2) With friction or inertial welding, it acts like a

Also notice the induction hardening on the center shaft

Service Training Malaga

Induction hardened Shaft

The center shaft is also induction hardened where the

High Strength Aluminum alloys

Service Training Malaga

Compressor wheels are made from high quality, high

Service Training Malaga

Balancing is also done on the backside of the cold

Service Training Malaga

we may find radial milling along the outside diameter as

Free-floating journal bearings

Copper/tin/lead alloy or from aluminium

Service Training Malaga

The free-floating journal bearings can be made either

Rounded edge towards the bearing

Service Training Malaga

Journal bearing retaining snap rings are stamped from

Copper/tin/lead alloy or from aluminium

Thrust bearings are made from copper/tin/lead and high

High temperature resistant chrome alloy

Cast aluminum alloy

Service Training Malaga

Compressor housings are made of a cast aluminum alloy.

Protects center housing from high